"Her cough gets so bad sometimes," said Anna. "But I shall be only across the road, and able to look after her just as well when we're married. Go and get ready for dinner, Arthur. It's been put back till eight o'clock on your account, and Ronald is coming." Ronald came but, owing to its being a Friday, ate no meat; his betrothed followed his example; bodily weakness excused, on Mrs. Lisle's part, a slice of the white meat of a chicken, both of whose legs were dedicated to Arthur's healthy appetite. Ronald was not a bad-looking fellow, tall, thin, and muscular; he was decidedly ecclesiastical in demeanour and bearing--as well as, of course, in apparel--and this betrayed him sometimes into a sort of _ex cathedra_ attitude which his office might justify but his youth certainly did not. Remembering him as an untidy urchin full of tricks only a few years ago, Arthur became a little impatient of it. At last Mrs. Lisle bethought her of Hilsey. "And how did you leave the poor people?" she asked gently. "You needn't mind speaking before Ronald; he's one of the family now." "Oh, really, they're--er--bearing up pretty well, mother. It's a bad job, of course, a great shock, and all that, but--well, things'll settle down, I suppose." "Has anything been heard of the unfortunate woman?" Mrs. Lisle went on. Arthur did not like the phrase; he flushed a little. "They're abroad, mother. She'll naturally stay there, I should think, till matters are adjusted." "Adjusted, Arthur?" Anna's request for an interpretation sounded a note of surprise. "Till after the divorce, I mean." "Does your cousin intend to apply for a divorce?" asked the happy suitor. "Bernadette wants one, and he's ready to do anything she wishes." A long pause fell upon the company--evidently a hostile pause. "And will the other man go through a form of marriage with her?" asked Ronald. "Of course he'll marry her. To do Oliver Wyse justice, we needn't be afraid about that." "Afraid!" Anna exclaimed very low. Mrs. Lisle shook her grey head sadly. "Unhappy creature!" she murmured. Arthur had been bred in this atmosphere, but coming back to it now he found it strange and unfamiliar. Different from the air of London, profoundly different from the air of Hilsey itself! There they had never thought of Bernadette as an unfortunate woman or an unhappy creature. Their attitude towards her had been quite different. As for his own part in the transaction--well, it was almost amusing to think what would happen at home if the truth of it were told. He had a mischievous impulse to tell Ronald--but, no, he must not risk its getting to his mother's ears. "And they're abroad together!" mused Mrs. Lisle. "They're on his yacht--so the lawyers said--somewhere in the Mediterranean." "How can they?" Anna speculated. "Unfortunately we must remember that people are capable of a great many things which we cannot understand," said Ronald.